Pentas plant named ‘Mars’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Pentas plant named ‘Mars’, characterized by its uniform and compact plant habit; freely branching habit; numerous purple red-colored flowers; and suitability for container production.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pentasplant, botanically known as Pentas lanceolata, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name Mars.

The new Pentas is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Odense, Denmark. The new Pentas originated from aself-pollination made by the Inventor of the Pentas lanceolata cultivarJuniper, not patented. The new Pentas was selected in a controlledenvironment from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in early 1998, onthe basis of its purple red-colored flowers and suitability forcontainer production.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inOdense, Denmark has shown that the unique features of this new Pentasare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Mars have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, water status, and fertility level without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Mars’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Mars’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Uniform and compact plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Numerous purple red-colored flowers.

4. Suitable for container production.

Plants of the new Pentas differ from plants of its parent cultivar,Juniper, and plants of its sibling cultivars sibling cultivars Comet,disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/624,468; Polaris,disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/624,470; andVenus, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/624,407,primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new Pentas can be compared to plants of the cultivarCranberry Punch, not patented. Plants of the new Pentas differ fromplants of the cultivar Cranberry Punch in the following characteristics:

1. Leaves of the new Pentas are more intense green and glossier thanleaves of the cultivar Cranberry Punch. p1 2. Plants of the new Pentashave larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Cranberry Punch.

3. Petal color of the new Pentas is darker and more intense than petalcolor of the cultivar Cranberry Punch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Pentas.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a top perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Mars’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Mars’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in 10-cmcontainers were used for the following description. Plants were grownunder conditions which closely approximate commercial productionconditions in Loudon, New Hampshire. Plants used for the descriptionwere about 8 weeks old.

Botanical classification: Pentas lanceolata cultivar Mars.

Parentage: Self-pollination of Pentas lanceolata cultivar Juniper, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 12 to 14 days at 21° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 30 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; upright, somewhat outwardly spreading,uniform, rounded inverted triangle; dense and full, freely branchingwith about six lateral branches per plant, pinching enhances lateralbranch development. Appropriate for 10-cm containers.

Crop time.—About 6 to 8 weeks are required to produce finished floweringplants in 10-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 38 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 34 cm.

Growth rate.—Moderate.

Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Internodelength: About 4 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144C.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical andlong-persisting; opposite. Quantity per lateral branch: About 10.Length: About 9 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Typically horizontal. Texture:Slightly rugose; pubescent. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 139A.Young foliage, lower surface: 138B. Mature foliage, upper surface: 147A,veins, 145B. Mature foliage, lower surface: 146B, veins, 145C. Petiolelength: About 1.25 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole color:145C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal corymbs;five-merous; flowers face mostly upward; slightly cupped. Flowerspersistent. Very freely flowering, typically about 40 flowers perinflorescence, about six inflorescences per plant, and about 240 openflowers and flower buds per plant.

Natural flowering season.—Summer; flowering continuous.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About two weeks.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8 cm. Height: About 5 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Height (tube length): About 5 mm.

Flower buds.—Rate of opening: About one week. Length: About 0.5 to 2 cm.Diameter: About 2.5 to 5 mm. Shape: Spatulate. Color: 186C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused atbase, flaring into a star. Petal length from throat: About 5 mm. Petalwidth: About 3.3 mm. Petal shape: Ovate. Petal apex: Acute. Petalmargin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, dull. Color: Petal, uppersurface, when opening: 186A. Petal, lower surface, when opening: 186A.Petal, upper surface, fully opened: 57A. Petal, lower surface, fullyopened: 186B.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals,star-shaped. Calyx length: About 2.5 mm. Calyx diameter: About 1 cm.Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Color,upper and lower surfaces: 147A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderatelystrong. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About five. Anther shape:Filiform. Anther length: About 1.25 mm. Anther color: 161C. Pollenamount: Scarce. Pollen color: 161C. Pistils: Quantity: One. Pistillength: About 2.5 cm. Stigma shape: V-shaped. Stigma color: 187B. Stylelength: About 2 cm. Style color: 161A. Ovary color: 145C.

Seed/fruit.—Seed/fruit production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Pentas have been observed to beresistant to pathogens common to Pentas.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Pentas plant named‘Mars’, as illustrated and described.